The Matrix Real Time
Analysis and Opinion
By joeAm
The movie “The Matrix” explores a digital reality where humans have been reduced to a source of energy empowering the computer. A few rebels are fighting it. It’s pretty much what we see in our world today only the computer does not yet have us physically plugged in. It is just a malevolent thought stream that is pointed toward erasing all that we know and replacing it with propaganda, bias, and bad data.
We assume the role of resources for our disinformation matrix in which the powerful and rich game our knowledge. We are here at the pleasure of, and value to, the favored few. Our labors and taxes create wealth for the entitled. They control our life. Freedom is an empty concept deployed when it is useful.
How did I come to this grim vision of where we are heading?
I commented on Twitter that James Fallows, who wrote an earthshaking piece for The Atlantic that called the Philippines a “damaged culture”, was back with a blog. I learned that a lot of my followers have no idea who James Fallows is. They have no idea what Marcos was about, in fact. Or Edsa. Or Gloria Arroyo.
Knowledge is disappearing like whales from the ocean. Headlong extinction.
Replacing the knowledge is dirty data. Conspiracy theories. Paid journalists and pundits. Armies of trolls. Self-dealing advocacies assuming moral high ground.
Little incidents become national crises inflamed by a sensationalist press aways on the lookout for dirt and someone to disparage. National crises become partisan battlegrounds where, in the US, kids are sent off to hospitals to die so anti-vax politicians can appeal to Trump’s lunatic base, a base that loves living in a field of dirty data.
It’s ugly, this place where knowledge is replaced by dirt. Where science is a swear word.
We need to be more aware of what is going on. We need to strive for clean, scientific data. For knowledge. For facts. And we should definitely call out the mudslingers.
Photo from screenrant.com.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
I guess only the younger segment of your followers do not know Fallows, how can my generation or older folks not know who Fallows is or not heard about Marcos,? It suddenly occured to me that my son asked me that if I had internet when I was in school I said as a matter of fact no, my first internet surfing was in the office.
Those youtube channels of Marcos loyalists and revisionists abound.
About Fallows, benign0 introduced that name to me when he started to be talkative in the blogosphere.
I remember my reactions when the article came out:
A. How can anyone call a culture, any culture, a damaged one? By definition (mine of course), culture is the sum total of the activities, thoughts/ideas a society chooses to engage in for its good. Fallows visits the Philippines and stays for six weeks and comes to the conclusion that Filipinos live in a “damaged” meaning flawed, social environment, How presumptuous, How dare he!
B. I did admit his observations were accurate for the most part. Nevertheless he had no right to throw them in our collective face. I thought then that no one but Filipinos had the right to do that – it was nobody else’s business.
C. I was only willing to admit and believe in the inherent goodwill of Filipinos and that it will prevail and will correct any problem in the manner and time that Filipinos will see fit.
Of course, that was then (Nov 1987).
This was 1999.
Morpheus:
I imagine that right now, you’re feeling a bit like Alice. Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole?
Neo:
You could say that.
Morpheus:
I see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, that’s not far from the truth. Do you believe in fate, Neo?
Neo:
No.
Morpheus:
Why not?
Neo:
Because I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my life.
Morpheus:
I know *exactly* what you mean. Let me tell you why you’re here. You’re here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life, that there’s something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I’m talking about?
Neo:
The Matrix.
Morpheus:
Do you want to know what it is?
Neo:
Yes.
Morpheus:
The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work… when you go to church… when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Neo:
What truth?
Morpheus:
That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind.
Wonderful! That’s us, exactly!
It is exactly us.
No matter if we take the blue pill or the red pill we still have an uncertain future. We believe what we want: we choose knowledge or we choose dirt.
The fact that the dysfunction of the brains appear significantly in both the wealthiest country and one of the poor countries of the world — the US and the PH — means to me that the difference in
– education and
– the means or facilities to access information
is not the main culprit here.
I remember reading that the internet and so-called smartphones and computers available to both individuals and media, especially in the US, may partly be the culprit here — which is ironic since the technology is supposed to usher acquisition of information at a speed much greater than the age of the telegraph and the radio.
Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat.
I am not an end-of-the-world nut case [I hope :)], but is it possible that we are near the end, in cosmic time, going by that Latin phrase, which is translated as the familiar,
“Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first deprives of reason”?
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190605100345.htm
How the Internet may be changing the brain
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-19904-y
Internet Communication Disorder and the structure of the human brain: initial insights on WeChat addiction
Thanks. I commented on your Tweet too, just now.
Saw it NH! 👍
lance gave inputs on your recall posts
Thanks, replied to Lance’s comment in the Isko blog. Now we know — he is ok but his iMac relative to WordPress is not.
Time to buy new gadgets
We have Luddite Lance who puts his acts where his words are, and you have my gaming son who wants the latest, fastest machines available to the general public. His mouse has all kinds of lights and buttons and an automatic clicker to fire fast. Probably unethical. He’s been thrown out of games because he’s too good. When he gets a little more advanced in programming I’m going to ask him to develop algorithms to unwind all the crap we are dished. A statistically based lie-detector. That should sell well.
just a few more years and all will come to frution
Go, go, Joe Junior.
Lance, time to decide and use one of those checks. 🙂
o yes!
Since I’m still logged in, let me comment on the new blog as well…
Asimov wrote about something similar, though Plato’s cave allegory is the oldest depiction of this concept, where Asimov’s psychohistory was the cave wall. The three centuries that unfold was “predicted”, as predicted by Seldon’s psychohistory the masses move predictively, but it s the individuals like Neo/Bail Channis (et al) that push the agency of humanity forward.
Thus all the Bail Channis of the Philippines have to wake those that wanna wake up; but also must replace the dreams of those that don’t wanna wake up, to better dreams. That was the machines biggest problem, how to keep the humans appeased via better illusions.
My point, is you’re not suppose to wake everyone up, Joe. Everyone should not be woke. But IMHO, based on the trailer, “Matrix: Resurrections” will be more about this concept, different from the last three movies.
This is more Neal Stephenson’s novels now. Meta stuff– Anathem, Seveneves & Fall, Or Dodge in Hell, specifically. Though Asimov also touched upon it in Second Foundation. Introduced to all of us already in the nursery rhyme “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”. NH, knows.
I’d say it is impossible to wake up because we are actually all already plugged in, but it’s like those magnetic chargers, there’s no socket. The best we can hope for is to find some leaders who can organize the collective to provide the least pain possible. Or most fun.
This is a Matrix but of a different kind — a Matrix considering the new geopolitical reality involving the US, UK, Australia, Pivot to Asia, and Pivot slightly away from Europe.
The reality of China and its intentions, including the more recent belligerence towards Australia, and the US assessment which extends at the very least to the Obama years seems to make the AUKUS agreement inevitable to me.
In this regard, I find this link interesting.
Excerpts:
Mr. Biden’s decision was the result of a brutal calculus that nations sometimes make in which one ally is determined to be more strategically vital than another — something national leaders and diplomats never like to admit to in public. And it was a sign that as Mr. Biden begins to execute what the Obama administration, 12 years ago, called the “pivot to Asia,” there is the risk of stepping on political land mines as old, traditional allies in Europe feel left behind.
…
In this case, American officials said the decision to toss over the existing French-Australian contract, and replace it with one that would bind Australia technologically and strategically to the nuclear submarine program, generated virtually no internal debate, participants said. The reason was straightforward: In the Biden White House, the imperative to challenge China’s growing footprint, and its efforts to push the U.S. Navy east, to the next island chain in the Pacific, reigns supreme.
“It says a lot about how Washington discerns its interests in the Pacific,” said Mr. Fontaine, “that there was no hand-wringing about angering the French.”
As an old man but one still fascinated, as in my youth, with ships and submarines, I note that Australia will acquire the technology only of the nuclear-propelled Attack Submarines and not the Ballistic Missile type. But being relatively silent and armed with more conventional weaponry and cruise missiles, AS is supposed to be effective and deadly in surveilling and attacking enemy submarines and ships. Deployment of the AS by Australia is estimated to range from 10 to 20 years, though.
A Matrix of country and nuclear-powered submarines of ballistic missile type and attack type:
Poorly handled by President Biden I think.
There was an existing deal between Australia and France, the Biden’s team should have had the courtesy to inform the French.
An Excerpt from CFR
———-
The move threatens to compound concerns in Europe about U.S. snubbing of allies, which has already been buffeted in recent months by the unilateral U.S. decision to pull out of Afghanistan. Now, it has blindsided France, nixing its plans to sell Australia conventionally powered submarines. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drain saying it was “brutal, unilateral, and unpredictable.”
https://www.cfr.org/blog/trade-versus-subs-risky-us-tradeoff-asia-pacific
I agree.
That seems to be the point of the day, getting to AUKUS while considerate to the French. After all, there would have been no US without the French help in the US-British war. The $60B French-Australia submarine deal is no peanuts, but how much of that is financial gain, setting aside French prestige and future financial gain from the deal? Say, 15% or about $10B. Then an Australian-UK-US mechanism may have been found that will deliver the financial loss. The French then may have been placated considering the West/ French own interest in containing the reach of China.
It is interesting to me that there have not (?) been criticisms from the GOP about this considering that about every deal Biden makes is subjected to criticisms sometimes “brutal” ones: “shedding tears” about the manner of US withdrawal from Afghanistan but not on how the French — an important traditional ally — was treated on this.
The Biden’s dealers are far better than the French I guess. During the Obama Administration, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US approved a transaction that gave control over Henniges, an American maker of anti-vibration technologies with military applications, to a Chinese government-owned aviation company and a China-based investment firm with established ties to the Chinese government. One of the companies involved in the Henniges transaction was a billion-dollar private investment fund called Bohai Harvest and the dealer is Rosemont Seneca Partners which was formed by Hunter Biden and Chris Heinz, the stepson of John Kerry. That’s how business is being done, just like in Burisma, the dealer/lobbyist was Blue Star Strategies . Need to emphasize that Mr. Chris Heinz had nothing to do with Burisma deal, only Hunter Biden and Devon Archer.
The Naval Group lost t, the TACTICOS- Combat Management System is not good enough I guess.
Here’s a profile of the deal. I don’t fully understand it. It was a small transaction in corporate investment terms.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-whistleblower-hunterbiden-c-idUSKBN1WI2HK
The issue being raised is the anti-vibration technologies with military applications and deals which had connections to US administration.
Thanks for the link Sir Joe.
Maybe Trump structured the Aussie deal, I dunno.
my friends in australia said the french deal is overbudget, 10yrs overdue with still no subs delivered and newer and better technology had made the deal sumat redundant. and australia refused to just stand by while china is being aggressive in the region with chinese spy ships often shadowing australian soldiers on military exercise, just off their eez.
as well, asean neighbors are on alert, they may have to nuclearize their ancient submarines too, already indonesia lost a submarine and crew just recently, diving a bit deeper beyond the sub’s capacity.
french election is coming up, naturally macron has to act tough, or lose in the election.
Thanks for the brief. I’m also wondering if Biden and Macron get along. It’s so out of character for Biden to be so abrupt. He’s said nothing about the deal I think.
https://www.politico.eu/article/why-australia-wanted-out-of-its-french-sub-deal/
keypoints
they ordered diesel because of fukushima backlash was still fresh
the french has the option to convert from diesel to nuclear
the french were hacked and apologized for it
aus wanted to pull out because of that and many more reasons given to make it appear that they did not betray france like it would take forever to build, the price has doubled since the original signing of the contract.(a reality in multi year contracts found in the fineprint)
the australian prime minister showed leadership and made a decision that maybe unpopular but right for australia.
I would not blame biden though, there were three of them in the pact, australia, estados unidos and united kingdom. australia was in dire need to update its aging subs and both estados unidos and uk have the modern technology needed.
if france felt betrayed, better luck next time. macron has yet to win the coming election, biden already won his.
of course, france was allowed to strut its righteous umbrage to the world, methink, its foreign office knew long beforehand what the deal was about.
as well, estados unidos, australia and united kingdom also knew france was going to be bellicose, took a step back and stayed calm. let macron have his say and save his face, he’s going to need it vs the opposition.
LOL!
Now France feels exactly how English speaking countries feel, France is always screwing us over.
Only winner though is China.
But China’s probably more worried about Elon Musk really than the English speaking countries.
I think Australia wins. They upgrade from conventional to nuclear and have a fleet of eight subs. Good for the economy. Pissed China off.
I’ve never been in a sub myself, but supposedly people have expedient clothes lines for drying socks or undies, and depending on where the sub is going up or going down, the clothes line will droop and straigthen as it takes on pressure from outside.
Now that’s scary.
But i’ve never understood the point of subs post -Cold War. Is the strategy for another Cold War footing with China? Because China has pretty much control of Space now, which means comms with subs will be spotty.
Which means this isn’t the 1960s any more.
So why not think more like Elon Musk and China and just focus on Space?
Whoever controls space, control the depths of the oceans. Indo-Pacific included.
Lastly, France also makes nuke subs, so why didn’t Australia just ask for nuke subs? no, I think President Biden simply wanted to give the finger to the French because of their early departure from Afghanistan.
Thus,
“Poorly handled by President Biden I think.” I totally agree. childish, but still worth it.
I gotta feeling, Biden still calls ’em Freedom Fries, as should we all. Fuck the French! 😉 though their women are hot, with or w/out armpit hair. Love ’em all.
Could be. He’s sure been quiet about the issue.
HOw about DUterte’s own matrixes? A foreboding sign? The drug matrix and that destablization matrix easily transitioned into the people’s consciousness as easily as the face shield requirement, without any sign of repudiation from anyone. People just swallowed it all up. The intricate link between fake news/propaganda and our new internet brain, the paid troll armies and social media influence, could very well just have damanged our culture even further. We may not have yet realized how deeply man ofus have been infected by this, how far and wide the paid trolls beginning from the Pro-Marcos propaganda on Facebook heyday before 2016, and Duterte’s own trolling scheme , disparage and discredit opponents before and after election, have swayed public opinion and conciousness. I have a feeling the effect is a lot worse than we think.
The maddening thing about it is that many — with maturity, time, the gadget to seek more information — have been misled. But this phenomenon occurs too in the US though in a different form. Is this a sympathetic vibration across the wide pacific? A disease afflicting mostly the US and the PH but the disease more critical in the PH?
Yes it is a disease. I did a quick research found this. Philippines is one of the top users who spend most time in social media per day. We may be a developing country, but our social media usage and dependence may be out of control. COuld it have started with that texting, sexting and MIRC use wayback? We need something done with fake news or it will repeatedly damage this culture as we are already discussing a “damaged culture.” https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/social-media-what-countries-use-it-most-and-what-are-they-using
we dont have monopoly of damaged culture, I think. many countries are in the same boat, and have made it quite a dark art, the dark web, deep fakes, etc. with russia, china, north korea, on the forefront and making big bucks out of it.
trolling in our courtry is probly mostly done by paid hacks some in the military, all that higher education put to bad use, egged by a government that has lost track.
my friends said it’s pointless arguing with trolls and paid hacks as they’ll just dig deeper; been briefed in the finer arts of trolling courtesy of those with multiple degrees and top tier scholars who are active trolls themselves. to them, it’s a job.
though there are some in our society who finds it a calling to put trolls in their correct places by pointing out facts from fiction. it’s a tiresome, chilling at times, fun other times and challenging most times.
agreed. the US also have spikes on Qanon conspiracy recruits from twitter alone at the height of it. lol Could very well be a Dark art in this century, and may only be the beginning of a more sophisticated more pervasive weapon across the globe. Not to forget possible deteriotation of education for Filipinos, will the younger generation be more susceptible or immune from propaganda. We shoudl enroll our kids to critical thinking trainings
Yes, I agree most Filipinos live in an intellectual world shaped by myth, fake news, conspiracy theory, and a bunch of dots that never get connected, like what their vote means. The pronouncements of Roque are as from a preacher at the pulpit, and idols can do no wrong while arrogant good people keep screwing up.
Yes though a Qanon conspiracy type may be too complicated for Filipinos. Our conspiracy theories are as rudimentary as they come, “Vaccines don’t work” or “Covid isn’t true” and stop from there. I just had an argument with an ex Duterte supporter stating how he did not like Trillanes because he was arrogant and a bully, I just had to ask if that meant he thought Duterte’s style wasn’t bullying? And Duterte wasn’t arrogant? Filipinos way of appreciation and attachment to personality is what’s complicated
Yes, indeed. By the way, I’ll drop this article here as an example of the kind of craziness that infests people’s thinking these days. https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2021/09/10/nolte-howard-stern-proves-democrats-want-unvaccinated-trump-voters-dead/
The discussion should be a lot simpler. “Get the vaccine. Stop the virus.”
Journalist at Washington DC right-wing protest rally yesterday:
“I’ve covered rallies, I’ve covered protests, never, this is my first time covering any situation like this,” Prokupecz told Acosta, “where so many people who just believe their own thing, nothing is based on fact, on truth, reality, it’s just people who just want to believe what they want to believe, whether it’s real or not.”
Thank you sir. Here’s a woman who’s good at math trying to persuade people to listen to the probability of dying from covid when vaccinated versus unvaccinated. I feel her https://twitter.com/MikeyBustos/status/1438163857348775938?s=20
Ah, exactly. I relate to her anger at the stupidity being passed off as reasoning.
The Trillanes tirades also came from Leni followers when Trillanes questioned Leni”s meeting with Lacson and Sotto.
Yeah and it was only an honest take from Trillanes. If questioning Leni’s decision froma fellow opposition isn’t welcome , then they’re being a DDS fanatic themselves, when she’s not even president yet
Or simply a fanatic.
Yes. I’d hate to see new breeds of fanatics defending the next president again and again. Instead, this country needs to to ramp up the number of civic minded, unforgiving government critics. More reklamo, more expose, more protests especially against corruption and injustice.
Basta pag may mali sabihin natin kung mali kahit na sinusuportahan natin.
Korek po
it’s not what we say but how we say it. say it nicely, criticism or others. dont say it in a way that makes the speaker looks like a raging bull, finger pointing in all directions, the spittle in the mouth, the face turning red with anger, the brows merging and reaching the hairline, all the signs of exploding temper. control them, say what must be said, but not with accompanying anger and amplified threats.
Correct
“Get the vaccine. Stop the virus.”
Not so fast Joe. All our current crop of vaccines (Moderna, J&J, Pfizer, Astra, etc.) are non-sterilizing, i.e. they do not completely stop the virus on its tracks – the jab merely prevents one from getting sick when infected but the virus is still in your body with the potential to mutate, replicate, and transmit.
That’s the reason why we have all these variants coming out and infections still on the rise or just at least plateaued.
That’s the reason why we need booster shots.
And that’s also the reason why there are cases of vaccinated people still getting infected with another possibly mutated virus and getting admitted to hospitals.
https://wentworthreport.com/2021/08/06/covid-vaccines-are-non-sterilizing/
“By “vaccine,” we normally mean a “sterilizing vaccine”:
To be sterilizing a vaccine must prevent infection. Since you never get infected, you never replicate the virus and thus do not shed it. If you do not shed it, the potential path of the viral life-cycle for that particular infection ends with you and thus you cannot pass on or cause a mutation. You are sterile against that disease; from the point of view of the virus you are a lifeless rock.
Among commonly-used sterilizing vaccines are MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), Varicella (chicken pox), OPV (oral polio) and others. The only time that such a vaccine fails is when you do not build immunity (such as due to immune compromise.) This is extremely rare and the protection from such vaccines tends to be either decades-long or lifetime. …
Natural infection with Covid-19 is sterilizing. …
But the covid vaccines to date are not sterilizing:
A vaccine that is not sterilizing permits the virus to infect you and replicate and as a result you can infect others. Technically it is not a vaccine at all (which by definition prevents infection); it is a prophylactic therapy.
Such a “vaccine” instead acts to reduce or eliminate symptomatic disease. You don’t know you’re sick and you don’t get sick. You don’t go to the hospital and you don’t die. Unfortunately since you don’t know you’re sick but are infected and the virus is both replicating in you and shedding you are more-likely to spread the infection to others. All of the current Covid jabs are in this category and so is, for that matter IPV (injected polio vaccine — the original Salk discovery) …
Jabbed people in fact not only get infected but spread the virus to others.
The problem with non-sterilizing vaccines is simply this: There is no safe means of mass-use of non-sterilizing vaccines so long as transmission within the community does or is likely to exist.
Ever. There are no exceptions.
This was known to public health officials and virologists seventy years ago and is why the United States used both IPV (injected polio vaccine) and OPV (oral polio vaccine) in sequence for polio until the 1990s. …
Had we done with polio what we’re doing now with Covid … it is very likely the virus would have mutated, escaped the vaccine and killed millions in America.
Every single so-called expert knows damn well why we didn’t do that with polio and how dangerous it is to attempt it. Indeed where polio still circulates but money is scarce they use OPV only (which is sterilizing) and accept the risk of the rare but possible active case it can cause for this exact reason. …
Non-vaccinated people die. So do their kids, friends, neighbors, and contacts. Get vaccinated.
Certainly Aesop must have written a fairy tale about an animal that spent too much time overthinking an issue and therefore got eaten by another animal.
Three lilttle pigs?
Nah j/k
Still from the referenced link:
It was ridiculously and grossly negligent entering into the territory of depraved indifference to mass-vaccinate the population with non-sterilizing jabs. We knew very early on that eradicating Covid-19 was impossible; there are animal reservoirs, specifically felines (of all sorts), ferrets and likely others (now believed to include deer.) We have never eradicated rabies and never will for this reason; as long as there are animal reservoirs you cannot eradicate a virus as it always has a host and a means of transmission outside of human control. …
Eventually we are very likely to get a mutation that entirely evades the jabs. That mutation will be caused by those who are jabbed since they are the only ones placing such mutational pressure on the virus. An unvaccinated person who gets infected places no such mutational pressure on the virus where a vaccinated person not only does they provide the exact pathway that virologists use to intentionally select for more-transmissible, virile or both mutations — serial passage through cells that does not kill the host. …
The only means to combat a pathogen absent sterilizing vaccination is to hit infections early and hard with whatever you have for the purpose of reducing viral load so as to produce durable, sterilizing immunity via infection. If you reduce viral load you reduce both the risk of pathology seriously injuring or killing the infected person and also reduce the forward transmission rate … of said virus. …
xxxxxxxxxx
So essentially, all our prayers and hopes should be on preventing the virus from ever mutating, otherwise this pandemic will march on for yet another year.
So you are saying people should not get vaccinated because the virus might mutate? I’m afraid I’ve lost the thread of the argument.
Or the 650,000 deaths in America before mass vaccinations were done was okay? I’m confused.
Mr. Joe, it seems the number you posted is quite high.
Covid 19 vaccines Moderna was approved by the FDA 12/18/2020
As per US CDC
“The COVID-19 pandemic caused approximately 375,000 deaths in the United States during 2020. What is added by this report? The age-adjusted death rate increased by 15.9% in 2020. Overall death rates were highest among non-Hispanic Black persons and non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native persons.”
But I agree, covid vaccine helps, and I also encourage everyone to get one. But to impose the mandatory jab is not fair, there are may be some reasons for not getting it. Those who are unvaccinated, they need to follow the protocols.
SARS-CoV-2 is here to stay, we need to deal with it. Hopefully once we got the herd immunity, the death and suffering will be lessen. Stay safe everyone.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-united-states-coronavirus-outbreak/
Many deaths occurred before vaccines were rolled out. Vaccines were Biden’s top priority upon taking office. Trump had left behind no plan for vaccine roll-out.
I imagine that vaccines will be made a condition of employment by many firms and organizations and for government agencies and military service. Exceptions will be rare and supported by a doctor’s excuse. Regular testing will be required instead as long as the virus is a common threat. People can choose not to work in these places. Vaccines will not be mandatory.
Pfizer-BioNtech approved on 12/11/2020
Moderna. approved on 12/18/2020
Janssen. approved on 2/27/2021
———–
Both Pfizer and Moderna need refrigeration at extreme low temperature.
The first roll out of distribution was on 12/13/2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccines-distribut/u-s-vaccine-campaign-launches-with-first-shipments-delivering-hope-to-millions-idUSKBN28N041
I’m saying that the roll out of NON-sterilizing vaccines by these multiple pharma companies who’ve made billions in profits, is NOT going to STOP the virus or, for that matter, this global pandemic.
As previously stated, there are in fact several cases of vaccinated individuals still getting infected and hospitalized.
And even if we assume that all 8 billion or so humans on this planet get the non-sterilizing shot, it’s not going to stop the virus from mutating in both human and non-human hosts (deer, vats, felines etc.) and starting another pandemic. Remember that before covid we already have the MERS and SARS.
Same exact viral dynamics.
Should people get vaccinated or not?
Individuals decide based on their own personal health history and information. There were cases of side effects of varying degrees.
Bigger point here is to prevent mutational pressure on the virus and starting another more virulent or deadly pandemic separate from or an extension of the current one.
Citing a few incidents of deaths or side effects among the vaccinated is applying a logical fallacy to a serious decision. It’s nonsense. View the video on statistics that Mundski provided. People should take the vaccine. Period. All arguments otherwise are dangerous and irresponsible.
Individuals decide is my preference at this point and I am not going to impose, even if I’m the Pwesident, a vaccine mandate that has no actual result of actually stopping the pandemic anyway.
The CDC backed off from the mandate instruction too and only limited recommendation for those 65 and above is what I’ve heard in the news.
Such a runaround of sense. Exactly the stuff of the matrix where we are bombarded with words unattached to fact or responsibility. Do the science, the statistics. Yes, the vaccine will be here, in a form or intensity we don’t understand. Yes, 674,000 Americans are dead from the disease, over 13 Vietnam War’s worth of body bags, the number high because of Trump’s negligence. Yes, the deaths today are mainly the unvaccinated. The tales of woe, of people too late to realize they were duped, never cited by the anti-vaxxers. Do something responsible, Micha. Encourage your friends and family to volunteer to get vaccinated, for their own good and for the good of their neighbors. Unplug yourself from the matrix of confusion, damage, and death.
The liberty argument cited by anti-vaxxers is an artificial structure of the mind, the matrix at its best, wrapping Satan in a cloak of fine white satin, rushing innocents and gullible people to their deaths.
Here they are, in the Philippine even, making liberty a religion and imposing it on others.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/09/19/2128217/covid-19-deniers-anti-vaccine-protesters-get-warning-pnp-chief
On statistics, probability, and Covid.
I, who pride in knowing a bit of math and statistics, still wonder about probability and the seeming paradox.
Take a balanced, “honest” 6-sided die (a cube). Say, that a throw of the die with face 1 up wins the game, and faces 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 showing face up loses the game. Then an average person will reasonably agree that the chance of winning the game is 1/6 and the chance of losing is 5/6.
Yet in three throws of the die, face 1 may appear three times. How is that? A Trumpist will violently claim the game is rigged. Without going further we are in a similar territory as the effectiveness of current vaccines against death from Covid infection.
Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight summarizing a poll about masks, vaccines, and mandates in the US:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E_qBLYwXEAYNk1K?format=jpg&name=large
Thanks.
@JoeAm
There is no issue with getting the jab, Joe; by all means get it done and encourage as many people as you can to get the shot.
The issue I am calling out is your generalized assertion along the lines of “Get The Vaccine, Stop The Virus” which, as I clearly explained above, is patently false.
Once again, our current crop of so-called vaccines are moderately effective at preventing individuals from getting flu-like symptoms or disease but they do NOT stop the virus from possibly mutating, replicating, and transmitting from an infected, albeit vaccinated, host.
Pfizer is recommending a 3rd or even a 4th shot because apparently its efficacy runs out after 6 to 8 months.
Already, health officials and professionals have reported detections of Mu and Lambda variants apart from the already more transmissible Delta. Here’s hoping that we do not run out of Greek letters in naming the mutations and that we do not get into the Alpha and Omega stream of this virulence.
Those are academic arguments, like talking strategies of defense as machine guns are mowing down the troops next to you and their families back home. Get vaccinated. Encourage others to. Shoot back.
It should read,
“Get the vaccine; prevent a run on hospital beds”, then add “Virus will be virus, if bats can live with them why can’t you?”.
Then further add, “The virus doesn’t really kill you, your own immune system does that”. Which goes back to bats.
You are vaccinated. That’s great. Encourage others to take the shot. Be a soldier and make America healthy again.
I actually do, Joe. if they don’t like mRNA i tell them go with J&J, or wait for Novavax.
I just disagree passionately, as Micha, with this Get Vaccinated; Stop the Virus silliness.
Corona is now endemic. 80% of Americans are now vaccinated (i’m rounding here); 20% not, who cares about the 20%, let them carry-on, 100% are spreading the virus.
Be healthy; stop eating so much sugar, so much salt, and all sorts of preservatives, and you’ll fair better re COVID19, which is still at 1% or so fatality rate. Aside from vaccines, being
healthy will safe lives. Why not focus on that, instead of increasing the pressures on the 20% hold-outs? Leave ’em alone.
Government is being a responsible employer making sure the workplace is safe. Vaccinate or test, or get a job elsewhere. It is the wild-eyed facists who are portraying this as a mandate rather than tough decisions. They want life on a silver platter and don’t mind sending their neighbor’s kids to the grave to get it.
Some science. Severe case of covid can drop your IQ by as much as 7 points but is unlikely to affect memory or emotional stability. https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210730/study-finds-covid-19-may-lower-intelligence
@ NH
Re the rigged dice.
Qanon has taught Trumphist about the importance of random throws and sampling populations. They also know that sometimes in a run of 10 a coin toss might turn up heads 10 times. If they lost the games, it’s called ass luck. Trumphist will say the dice or the coin may be rigged if they knew the croupier is a Dems activist.
On the other hand, Bidenists will say the dice or coin is racist.
@NH,
I did not understand chempo’s remark about Qanon and dice throwing since Chem is under mod I ask you to enlighten me on this.
Then you would Alsatian that flu shots, pneumonia, rabies, tetanus all those with no lifetime guarrantees. Btw polio had boosters.maybe mmr too.
* also say
Wrong on mmr
Polio one lifetime booster
“…there are in fact several cases of vaccinated individuals still getting infected and hospitalized…”
Micha. you are right, but it’s an understatement. Please let me put a bit more meat here.
Vac proponents say science say this and that, but without data. Vac hesitants say events in the world is telling a different narrative. The highest vaccinated places in the world are now showing extremely high cases — UK, Israel, Singapore and the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Higher vaccination, higher cases.
All eyes are on Israel to show meaningful data. Thus far they say vaccinated people are getting sick. Israel is doing 3rd shot and planning 4th one. Israel has also said those with natural immunity from previous infection appear least affected by Delta variant.
In Singapore we are now record 1,000 per day. We are in shit trouble. Govt has stopped providing the daily case reports — meaning gonna fudge data, same as the VAERS.
The cases came in waves. First wave came shortly after vacs were rolled out. Second wave, Delta variant, came after most countries have achieved some vaccinated numbers. Obviously the vacs (mRNA and adenovirus vector types) are not working.
mRNA and adenovirus vector vaccines are novel, but the technology behind it has been studied for 3 decades. It’s from the science of genetic therapy which has not taken off because scientists are aware of several risks. These vaccines are not exactly genetic therapy in that it does not alter genes, but they use synthetic genetic materials. All those risks that scientists were aware of, plus more, are manifesting all over the world. I am not sure if anyone here are aware of what these risks are, the known knowns are. I’m betting the answer is NO because the vac roll out have been made without adequately providing information to the public.
Adverse events have occured as scientists feared. But 3 adverse effects they never expected which have very serious long time effects — Myocarditis, blood clotting and the antigen, ie the spiked protein, traversed to all other organs. Inflammation of the heart severely reduces life span. Spike proteins in other organs damage the organs. Spike proteins also cross the blood brain barrier, expect Parkinson’s disease.
None of the above are conspiracy theories. Proponents know about them long before vac roll out. Medical progress is based on experts presenting different opinions in medical journals. From such arguments, ideas are thrashed out, progress is made. Today, all opinions of the vac hesitant are conspiracy theorists or murderous idiots, banned by social media, chastised by mainstream media, banned by their professional bodies, threats of decertification and withdrawal of research grants. We are left with only one point of view…Dr Fauci’s.
Case in point is Ivermectin. Mention this and everybody throws the horse dewormer at you. Ignoranmus do not know Ivermectin has a formulation for humans which have been used by billions of people safely. It won the Nobel Prize for medicine in 2015. It’s a theraupetic for parasitic diseases. There is an ongoing programme in many African States that uses Ivermectin. All the states that participate in this programme have very low Covid cases. It is as if a cure for Covid was inadvertantly created. But this fact has been suppressed, one reason is Ivermectin is dirt cheap.
The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh almost collasped 3 months back when they were seeing hundreds of thousands of cases a day. They switched to theraupetic cocktail of drugs with Ivermectin. 3 weeks later they flattened the curved. Today they are covid free (cited by John Hopkins). Indian govt is suing a health official who tried to stop the use of Ivermectin, claiming it’s a drug for horses. Japan, citing the experience of African states, are switching to Ivermectin protocol. Malaysia, due to poor management, is collapsing as they are inundatedby very high cases, will switch to Ivermectin after they have completed their studies.
Pfizer has their vaccine approved. The approved vac will be marketed under Comornaty label. But it is the exact same formulation as the Pfizer vac that is used under the Emergency Use Agreement. There is some anomaly here. Under US laws, when there is an approved drug for a disease, there should be no EUA drugs. Thus all other vaccines and drugs like Regenoron, Remdesivir should be withdrawn, only Comornaty should be used. This has not happened. Why? Ask yourself why should Pfizer sell Comornaty and take risks of getting sued when they can sell the EUA label that carries no risks? Of course they will not put Comornaty in the market. So as long as Comornaty is not available, all the other EUA vac and drugs can still be used. So what is this all about? Politics is what. Approving the vac is a prelude to tougher vac measures. That was exactly what happened.
Now, more nonsense. The Pfizer emergency vac can be used for age12 years up. Comornaty, as per their website, cannot be use for those below 16.
And more nonsense. Pfizer recently asked for approval to use the emergency vac for 2 years up after a non-peer reviewed study. The science say it’s ok. But events in the world say youngsters are hardly affected by covid. With near zero risk from covid, why push a vaccine that exposes so much risks?
Why are people who have been vaccinated and thus safe, pressurising people who are not vaccinated? But if vaccinated feel unsafe because the vaccine does not make them safe, why then vaccinate and take the higher risks of adverse events. Especially for a disease with a mortality that is less than 1% and easily cured with early treatment?
As Bill Maher said, maybe the vaccinated ought to adjust their mask lower, it’s blocking their eyes.
China is the only country which has not used these genetic vaccines. The Sinovac and Sinopharm are vaccines using inactivated SAR-cov2. If you look at the Safest Covid Country Index cited below, China is ranked 2nd after Tanzania as the safest country (ignoring the small island states). China has been spared the Delta wave. There are reports from WHO that confirms the Chinese vacs are more resilient to the Delta strain. Why?
The mRNA and adenovirus vector vacs produce only one part of the virus, the spiked protein. If the virus mutates which include a small change in its spiked protein, the antibodies will not recognise it. Thus these vacs do not work for the Delta strain. Chinese vacs use inactivated virus. They use a weakened actual virus, the whole virus. Thus the antibodies have a better understanding of the virus and can still recognise it even after it mutates.
You may be interested to take a look at a table I prepared for my blog on Safest Covid Country Index (based on the probability of catching Covid and dying from it, vac status at 5 Sep 2021)
Philippines ranks 104 out of 223 countries. The risk of catching Covid and dying from it is.
https://chem-post.blogspot.com/2021/09/safest-country-to-be-in-coronavirus-pandemic.html
Here is the CDC’s commentary on Ivermectin: https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2021/han00449.asp
As for cost, that’s about $80 for 20 tablets. Insurance does not cover the cost. Vaccines are free.
Here’s info on cost. https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/ivermectin
The web site also provides info on side effects, etc.
Correction …. Philippines ranks 104 out of 223 countries. The risk of catching Covid and dying from it is 1 out of 3,250.
Thanks for the CDC link. But to me CDC has lost much integrity. It is politicised and usurped some of FDA’s responsibilities. Eg, regarding booster jabs. FDA recommended NO booster jabs at this stage due to insufficient data. But CDC went ahead of FDA and announced booster jabs. 2 high ranking FDA scientists who have been at the job of regulating drugs for decades, resigned in exasperation. CDC had to withdraw the earlier decision but went ahead with booster jabs for 65+, unsupported by science and data.
CDC, Fauci et al had from the beginning denied gain of function research in the SAR-cov2. Fauci was going to testify in Senate to say the virus was zoonotic. And what do we know, with great timing the Lancet report came out to say evidence showed it is a zoonotic virus. The report was led by Dr Peter Daszak, CEO of NGO Ecohealth and signed by 18 scientists (I may have the number wrong).Fauci then flashed this report in Senate. Lo and behold, conspiracy theorists dug in and the facts as understood now is Ecohealth is the funnel through which Fauci’s NIAID sent the funds as research aid to Wuhan Lab. Thus Fauci can swear in Senate he never funded Wuhan. Several months later, 8 of those Lancet scientists who signed that report retracted their signature. A couple of months back, a second Lancet report (without Daszak this time) was published which negated on the first report to now say the evidence shows the virus was most likely created in a lab.
Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) is a group of highly published, world-renowned critical care physicians and scholars who are terribly concerned about the suppression of alternative voices in this pandemic. They formed FLCCC to collect all data and share all their findings and opinions. Thousands of like minded practioners joined. Many have successfully treated their patients using cocktails of drugs. They have collated research and study reports, many peer-reviewed. As regards Ivermectin, there have been many peer reviewed studies that showed its efficacy when used in right dosage and right cocktail. There is no standard protocol. Every patient is different and the cocktail is personalised. This is the essential difference of a successful Ivermectin application. But all these reports are never ever referred to by all government agencies. They are waved aside by vaccine proponents. I mentioned the Malaysian attempt to do their own research on Ivermectin. I read the government report on this. They were still referring to Ivermectin as a horse dewormer.
Is’nt it interesting that we have a pandemic where both scientists who invented the PCR and mRNA vac are saying their products should not be used, but the whole world threw their advice into the dustbin?
I put CDC in the arena of official government view, where they are checked by legislators, audit, ethics, and scientists, and contributors here as amateurs of no official standing, and in your case, driven by conspiracy theories that are bringing humanity to the very brink of sense and civility. Readers can read your stuff and the CDC information. Debating it would go down the rabbit hole, a place I will not go. Your blog can.
Similarly, I decline to publish your defense of Florida and Texas as it is dangerous nonsense, trolling for Trump, and my blog will not give you audience for that. You may take it up on your own blog.
chemp,
The numbers are in, most in the ER are unvaccinated. Sure some breakthrough cases too.
So the burden of proof is now upon you , you have to prove that more vaccinated side-effects ended in the ER or the morgue , absent of that proof your case is moot.
Hint: I’ve Googled and none– sure Google is part of the cabal of satanists censoring this info they are probably killing cute rabbits as we speak , but my point you present your evidence.
When Chempo and I chat I still get to say wassup with that?
I question the more vaccinations more cases.
That is like saying there are a lot of cases because there are a lot of testing.
The vax is to prevent more deaths in the hospital beds and it would not reduce cases
On ivermectin he articulated a ten year study in support of Ivermectin.
then I gave him a link to counter all those studies.
The Biden- Trump I go hands Off, but I am not pro-Trump more on Biden..ish.
Biden = Aquino. Doing the right things but stepping on vested interests to do so. So there is plenty of hostility that mainstream media amplify. His core intent is right-on, and he seems willing to pay the publicity price to get it done. Afghanistan is an example. We have to avoid the logical fallacy that says one “mistake” in our view makes having elected him a mistake. Nope. A great President. Some lousy citizens though, those American 100 percenters.
Yes and in the extreme the DDS and trumpists dont get to see the wrong when it comes to their principal.
Here is a report on the ‘killer vaccine’ issue. Basically, a lot of chempo’s reading list is extremist nonsense.
https://factcheck.afp.com/http%253A%252F%252Fdoc.afp.com%252F9N862V-6
Thanks Joe
Here is a report on the Arizona audit that chempo was watching.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/24/republican-audit-arizona-bigger-lead-biden
Peter Marks, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, made the statement in response to concerns raised on a conference call late last week of government officials, pharmaceutical executives and academics who serve on a vaccine working group organized by the National Institutes of Health, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
When contacted by Reuters, Marks confirmed the account.
Marks told Reuters he has not faced any political pressure and that the FDA would be guided by science alone. Should that change, “I could not stand by and see something that was unsafe or ineffective that was being put through,” Marks said.
“You have to decide where your red line is, and that’s my red line,” he said. “I would feel obligated (to resign) because in doing so, I would indicate to the American public that there’s something wrong.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccines-fda-exclu/exclusive-top-fda-official-says-would-resign-if-agency-rubber-stamps-an-unproven-covid-19-vaccine-idUSKBN25H03H
_____________________________________________________
“FDA recommended NO booster jabs at this stage due to insufficient data. But CDC went ahead of FDA and announced booster jabs. 2 high ranking FDA scientists who have been at the job of regulating drugs for decades, resigned in exasperation. “
chemp,
On that comment above, FDA folks resign all the time. I think it has more to do with the FDA being neutered as a gov’t agency than anything really. I mean the FDA can’t even keep tabs on vitamin supplements, much less actual pills.
FDA to CDC is akin to FCC to FTC re internet.
While the FDA drags its feet for these “red lines” read red tape, the source of the FDA’s powers, in lieu of their lack of leadership, CDC will take lead. Though I agree with you , chemp, that because data is not readily available like fixing a battleship while the battle’s ongoing,
there’s never a perfect decision.
Where Joe’s wrong IMHO in thinking that there is science behind every decision being made, I’m seeing people with everyone’s health in mind, all good intentions mind you, just shooting from the hip, which is what you call intuition.
And as sonny knows, intuition tends to lead before science. this is true in religion and in policing and in the military, where less than perfect data is available all the time… so in times of pandemic so too in labs and hospitals.
But I agree with you and Micha, that everyone regardless of vaccines (or not) are spreading the virus. Not worth it giving FDA brownie points for foot dragging, that’s essentially why they resigned, chemp. protecting their red tape. reason for existence.
That article i’ve shared is dated 2020 during Trump, Trump’s accomplishment last year was in cutting all the red tape. FDA dragged its feet then as now. Fuck FDA!
DU30 cut the red tapes hindering Philippine internet, and look what happened.
NH is happy.
I actually think the Philippines would be better run under a real dictatorship with good intentions than a phony democracy favoring powerful self interests. It’s the getting there that is tricky.
I didn’t say there is science behind every decision, I said there are cross-checks, among them scientists. A very vocal community, actually and thankfully. Kindly read better.
What’s your example of cross-checks, Joe? The scientific method relies on two things data and time. A very little of both in a real time pandemic. That’s chemp’s point, that theres not so much data; you’re essentially saying in two blogs now, to follow the science.
I read good, Joe.
No, if there’s a lack of data and time, then essentially you just have experts following intuition, not really science (educated guess maybe).
Which is better than say chemp’s intuition or yours or mines, etc. etc. But like in any emergency there has to be consensus. if you have too much arguments, nothing gets done, that’s the point of the FDA article above.
So no, this is not the time for cross-check, its the time for consensus, and the minority report gets a say, but like that FDA vs. CDC case, the most bold decisions take lead. So there should be zero to less cross checking. I don’t see doctors and researchers going on TV second guessing each other.
Thus, much of the cross check is coming from folks like chempo, but see if here in this blog its not allowed (too dangerous, etc. etc.), so it makes no sense to allow it in the real world where decision makers make decisions.
data + time = science
Cross check is what scientists say about Ivermectin or gain of function research or Wuhan lab, where each has a set of experiences, often research based, and a point of view honed by studies and knowledge available to them. They don’t vote on it so consensus is not always possible. I’ve read some of the more technical papers on the Wuhan lab, natural or lab-originated, and it is nearly a foreign language. In a crisis situation, consensus is what the leader says, in this case CDC, and opposition to CDC is anti-consensus and often political. That you don’t see the argument doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. It is. Among scientists who speak the language and formulae. Chempo is not cross-checking anything, he’s selling snake-oil.
Let me make clear, anti-science and lies are driving the Republican agenda. Facebook allows much of it. I don’t. If that makes this blog pro-Biden or biased, that’s what it is. Go somewhere else to spread bullshit and destructive nonsense. Make Putin happy, and Trump. I don’t care. Chempo has gone to the ‘other side’ of sanity and sense, in my opinion, and he is free to live in that world but he is not going to use my blog to peddle dangerous thinking. And if you want to try to go that route, you’re gone, too. This blog started as dust and will eventually end there. Sooner rather than later is no skin off my teeth.
Another element of the argument tries to see the two sides as equal of respect, so the Jan 6 Insurrection is seen as having a moral basis equal to that of democracy and the Constitution. No, no, no! It was an extremist attempt at overthrowing the United States of America!!! There is no moral equivalence, nor is there to Ivermectin or anti-mask or anti-vaccine initiatives. They are killing Americans. There is no moral goodness to that at all. Zero. None. Chempo has no moral pulpit to speak from other than killing innocents.
The matrix is basically brainwashing. It’s frightening to watch mainstream media play insurrection as legitimate politics rather than calling for firing squads. It’s frightening to listen to Tucker Carlson and know people are actually believing his schtick. It’s frightening to see how many Americans buy into the ‘liberty’ argument as a basis for putting lives at risk. The funniest comments are from GOP who say Dems are bad people for pointing out that Republicans are dying, and their votes are going away. But Republicans are good people for killing themselves off!!! 🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Okay. We have two different definitions for cross check then. Mine was more along the lines of minority report, ie. the cases in which ivermectin was successful. Because chempo’s right it is automatically rediculed. That is the opposite of cross check.
And I agree, research talk is akin to lawyer talk is akin to military euphemism talk.
But the solution isn’t to go follow blindly the experts, but i do agree that my intuition is better served for stuff i have experience and knowledge in, thus in that regard i will bow to the experts. But if someone poses a minority opinion, i’d like to entertain it.
That’s my understanding of cross check.
@LCX, Here’s a good example of cross-checking within the science community.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01535-y
The tensions build knowledge, they do not destroy institutions.
In conclusion , i could care less about therapeutics. But simply pushing back on science vs. scienticism.
One is the process, the second is what lay people do behind clergy, blindly follow. The second is dangerous.
But i’d rather talk more about Philippines and internet, so no more push backs re this subject from me. All moot.
Get the vaccines, wait for Novavax, all good options. Live a healthy life.
Democrats and Republicans have opposing views, both have their own reasons, may be not aligned to ones viewpoint . At this time, one of the hot issue in America is migration. Both parties are crying for inhumane condition at the southern border. Main stream media have opposing views, which one to believe?
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/16/1037930041/abandoned-children-us-mexico-border-patrol-rio-grande
It’s indeed a difficult issue. So many people want into the US. Visas are hard to get for Filipinos because so many violate the terms and just stay. Who is to blame? The US or Filipinos. Biden seeks to increase immigration limits from Trump’s 15,000 to 125,000. How do you humanely deal with the Mexico border? Tough. Republicans don’t want more people of color or Muslims coming in. But they started the Afghanistan War. Make other countries take fleeing Afghans? Maybe Biden will start building walls higher. I leave it to his good judgment.
In the context of this blog article, mainstream media are a part of the matrix, the conduits of dirty information pushed by private and political interests. I’d recommend looking at the content. Is it tearing someone down or articulating solution. If it’s tearing someone down, know there is a legitimate opposite side. Study both sides then figure out how to build something rather than join in the rampage to destroy.
@ Mr. Joe
As to immigration mess at the southern border, most Americans are compassionate people, some are not for reasons that may directly affect their community. With this issue, I will refer to the US Immigration laws. What could be the controlling factor of a democratic republic other than the Constitution?
The Constitution provides the principles but lawmakers have latitude on implementation. Compassion and global events shape policy.
“Each year, the president, in consultation with Congress, determines the numerical ceiling for refugee admissions. The overall cap is broken down into limits for each region of the world. After September 11, 2001, the number of refugees admitted into the United States fell drastically. After the Bush administration put new security checks in place, annual refugee admissions returned to their previous levels and rose during the Obama administration. During the Trump administration, the refugee ceiling fell sharply, from 110,000 in FY 2017 to 45,000 in FY 2018 and 30,000 in FY 2019. For FY 2020, the ceiling was set at an all-time low of 18,000—although only 11,814 were actually admitted (the lowest number of admitted refugees since the system was created in 1980.) The FY 2021 ceiling was set at 15,000 by the Trump administration, but was subsequently raised to 62,500 by the Biden administration.”
Excerpt from: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/how-united-states-immigration-system-works
Joe, regarding your
JoeAm says:
September 23, 2021 at 3:32 pm
I would like to comment not on ivermectin discussed in the link but on meta-analysis also mentioned in the link. My interest is in meta-analysis as a statistical analysis tool .
I scanned just a few articles on meta-analysis, and so my comment on the subject should be taken with a grain of salt. Meta-analysis as defined in brief by Gene V. Glass who coined the phrase is “the analysis of analyses.” It seems over the years MA has evolved into several approaches and filtering or starting conditions needed to start the ball rolling on meta-analysis.
The link itself is a critique of meta-analyses itself. The author criticizes the MA done on several papers and proposed instead MA to be done on what is called Individual Patient Data or IPD.
Conclusion: I propose that the analyses of Joe, chempo, Lance, if they are called analyses should be subjected to Hyper Meta-Analysis. 🙂
My analysis is not medical, but application of medicine by government. Support Biden vaccination initiatives and make America healthy again. Don’t listen to quacks like Tucker Carlson and chemrock. Move out of Texas and Florida which are self destructing. Be safe, be sane. 🤣😂🤣
@ Mr. JoeAm- thanks for the link on immigration RE refugees.
———-
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)
Individuals outside the United States seeking admission as a refugee under Section 207 of the INA are processed through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which is managed by the Department of State in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Those admitted as refugees are eligible for U.S. government-funded resettlement assistance.
The first step for most people seeking refugee status is to register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the country to which they have fled. UNHCR determines if an individual qualifies as a refugee and, if so, works toward the best possible durable solution: safe return to the home country, local integration, or permanent resettlement in a third country.
Let’s see if this works, same Macbook but returning to my old Twitter profile for WP, which had issues prior, but now am able to log in on it. Weird.
I’ll not jump in with this whole Micha vs. Joe debate, I of course agree with Micha, as did I agree with chempo (holding out for Novavax, non-mRNA). And when I chastised madlang on leaving family due to vaccine opinion differences. The paranoia is media induced.
Both vaccinated and unvaccinated can spread the virus equally. That ‘s from the Israeli studies. Consistent w/ Micha’s non-sterile vaccine.
Thus the only reason for getting vaccinated is personal (fear, love, sense of community, etc.) , no way can you justify compelling others, precisely because of the above point, that both unvaccinated and vaccinated spread equally the virus. Only that the vaccinated aren’t getting severe reactions. That’s the only difference.
So again, if you choose not to be vaccinated, you should refrain from going to the hospital so other emergencies can be accommodated. Only fair. Its your gamble, don’t include others.
That said, Joe and Micha’s perspectives are what’s at odds, IMHO.
Micha I think is arguing for individual agency (which is what I’ve always argued, why I’m against that last drone airstrike, etc.), I’m also cheering on COVID19 because of the 8 billion issue. Too many people buying stuff! But,
Other people should not be able to compel others to do things they don’t want to, that’s the principle. Hauling water jugs, no one should be able to just willy nilly bomb that guy with Hellfire missile. Good intentions and Hell and all that good stuff.
Joe is arguing for compelling others to do what they don’t want to do, Hitler was a fan of that, so too others. Which I’m totally against. No matter the justifications, again Hell and Good intentions.
As for the stats of Americans dead by COVID19, its dubious to me, the context is that 3 million (give or take) Americans die every year (CDC stats)– of that 600,000 “COVID19” deaths whos to say, those folks weren’t gonna die in the next year or within the year?
Is it 3,000,000 + 600,000 plus = 3,600,000 plus now, i dunno. I’m sure its higher now with the pandemic, but my point is 600,000 is the average death rate also for cancer and heart disease, etc. no one batted an eye then. No one said, Hey corporations stop giving us chemicals that cause cancer, or Hey dummy start running and exercising.
No one compelled anyone.
Now its suddenly cool to do so? I don’t buy it. But for sure If I became the Leader of the World tomorrow i’m gonna compel people to my Luddite sensibilities people just stop buying stuff until then, I’m gonna simply keep an eye out for more powerful people subjecting me to their will (via vaccines, though I’ve already gotten mine , and/or a Hellfire missile for simply hauling water for my family and friends).
Thus Joe’s wrong, and Micha’s right. In principle. Both at odds, but Micha’s got the libertarian streak now, so congratz!!!
But I actually just wanna comment on perspectives, didn’t mean to jump in as i’ve already argued several times already here, and how Micha and Joe’s argument above is like MC Eschers art.
Yes!!! (looks like I’m still here, Joe!)
This documentary on Escher is for NH (and sonny).
Lastly, this one. Skip to the 3rd speaker the bald looking white dude, deconstructing and recreating Escher’s classic image, breaking it down mathematically. Joe, I’m sure Joe jr. would enjoy this one re gaming and game design– related for sure.
I’m not into videos and prefer discussion in my discussion blog.
Hitler was not trying to save lives by stopping a raging health pandemic. Such craziness of argument. Government cares for people. Freedom cares for individuals. Individual responsibility cares for others. Too much error on the side of the state is an imposition. Too much error on the side of freedom kills kids. Hitler, my ass!
Joe,
the saving of lives isn’t the issue; because one can save lives via creation as well as destruction. Two side s of the same coin.
Can one person or a body of people compel others to do something they are against of, that is the extent of the Hitler analogy— I’m not saying youre Hitler, Joe.
fascism is a bigger threat IMHO, than saving lives, and my argument with the lives lost vis a vis the 600,000 plus deaths is that its directly related to ones health, meaning if ones overweight, preexisting condition, old, etc. etc. the virus will get them. Life is designed this way since humanity began.
They can hedge against the virus by vaccination. I agree with this. Then hedge.
But if the 20% plus of the population refuses it, then the rhetoric that they are somehow killing kids is not a very honest one, is it. Again Micha’s non-sterile and my Israeli studies.
So why include this in the argument? Its fascist. its what CNN and MSNBC is doing, blaming the unvaccinated, when in fact everyone is spreading Corona. its false. its Rhetoric. period.
Theres no scientific argument for mandating vaccines,
but I do agree that employers can do it; and businesses can excercise their right to refuse services, especially hospitals. This is within their purview. includes gov’t workers too and military.
Theres just no science in your pushing for vaccines, to stop the virus. The virus is now endemic. The only solution now is the study of bats and maybe CRSPR our way out of COVID19.
The mandate for saving lives is the Constitution. The science says the best way to do that is vaccines. The anti-science themes of Republicans, and the intellectualization of massive deaths, is dangerous. My neighbor’s son died of covid. Young. Bright. The whole of life ahead of him. The family is crushed with grief. Look, this is personal. It is real. Encourage others to get vaccinated. Stop fighting the need to do what is right and necessary on some intellectual plane that denies people the integrity of their grief.
Saving of lives is an issue and I disagree to the clamour not to treat the unvaccinated.that is not even how nurses and doctors are trained.
Triage yes but refusal only happens when no space, no deposit, etc
Good thing many have insurance in the us
Here in ph many doctors are planning not to renew their hmo contracts because of gassle during the pandemicand slow payments.
Then Roque is chest thumping with the Universal healthcare bill he filed when he was congressman.
Canada can still afford universal healthcare just wait till they relax immigration and population almost doubles, everything changes with unmanaged population.
School officials in the Red States of Florida, Arizona, Texas, and Tennessee are in a bind trying to do their best for their schools, student’s education and health by pleading for vaccine mandates but run smack against the wishes of their State Governors.
Most if not all other Western Democratic countries don’t have such dilemmas. I wonder how historians will comment on this, decades from now.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/20/colleges-covid-gop-restrictions-512638
karl,
Agreed. For refusal of service to make sense those two conditions have to be present, 1). hospital inundation and 2). personnel /staff retention , but need not happening then & there for refusal of service to be justified, meaning not reactive but preventive— so simply saying nope we’re keeping our beds open for when theres vaccinated COVID or real emergencies; or if beds are open, to give personnel and staff respite.
So refusal of service is already in the DNA of capitalist hospital industry. Biden just needs to say it is so. Blanket okay, if you will. Special pandemic okay for no service.
NH,
here in California, i read somewhere that 40% to 50% of the studens opted still for Zoom or at home learning, since last year a bunch chose not to return. And stay home learning.
There’s no out breaks here yet on the local news, but from what I can see driving by schools, especially elementery there’s no social distancing, masking lax during lunch or recess; i know there’s all sorts of rules for when in-doors, but if the kids are hugging wrestling and giggling closely, then in-door rules are all moot.
But it appears most kids are still bouncing from COVID19 infections ala 2020, though the media now focuses solely on kids being infected but they fail to mention from school or health profile of kids etc. so i’m thinking scare tactics from media again.
That no returns statistics I think will be significant. I gotta feeling its the kids with good Wifi and tech savvy families and unshackled from school, they’ll do some very significant stuff in the future.
Lance, about your last paragraph, interesting what those kids can do in the future. Reminds me of Joe Junior — the Robinson Crusoe types will do well I will imagine.
When one looks back to one’s pre-pandemic school years, one can say that some of the learning from the more dogmatic kind of teachers — especially ones who are themselves not quite up to par — damaged students, the dependent ones especially.
“unshackled from school” is worth a study. The pandemic may have hustled it along on two fronts, kids who have figured they learned faster and better via technology, and kids who were forced out and had to fend for themselves. The question is, have employers moved with them. Worth an article.
That will be interesting and useful. I hope you find some time to write about it.
I second this article, and internet heft and speed too vis a vis Philippines and the 2024 election.
oooops, 2022 election. For example what’s VP Leni’s work on internet policy and what’s Inday Sara’s track record for Davao on this, etc. etc.
Sara is for the third telco and with it the Chinese connection. Plus she supports submarine cable development.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1050011
https://www.globe.com.ph/about-us/newsroom/business/mayor-sara-duterte-praises-globe-sea-us-cable-system.html#gref
As for Leni here are the links
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/778955/vice-presidentiables-weigh-in-on-slow-internet
Robredo said she, along with LP standard-bearer Mar Roxas, proposed that the government infuse capital to improve infrastructure for connectivity.
“‘Yung government ang magte-take cudgels for that. Aayusin ang competition para hindi ma-monopolize,” she said.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1314140/robredo-calls-on-govt-to-place-internet-hub-per-barangay-to-support-distance-learning
MANILA, Philippines — The government should make sure that barangays nationwide would have internet hubs so that students without gadgets and a stable internet connection can use them for their distance learning classes.
==
I suggest she partner with Zuckerberg for the drone Internet thing
NH,
Re meta-analysis of analyses, this reminds me of Psychohistory. small groups of people won’t work, but bigger groups is necessary, the irony is that individuals are the ones that get prodded in the Seldon plan.
isk’s example of immigration paradox, where Republicans are clamoring for more Afghans saved (the ones that helped and believed in us); vs. kick ’em out now the Haitians (cuz we don’t know who they are, and if anything send them to France, that’s more their problem, but then Monroe doctrine). who knows…
I agree with Joe , that Americans both GOP or Dems tend to be bleeding hearts, the Bible belt is always giving money and starting missions in the 3rd world , naively so; while the Dems always spreading democracy/civil rights etc., all you can say at gun point. Democracy and Jesus. But trump compelled Mexico to stop these “migrants” at their (their) southern border already.
So, how these analyses shift and move around is also as interesting to me, NH. I mean they were stopped by Mexico from proceeding any farther, but under Biden he made those speeches that anyone with an open heart and mouth can say was in essence inviting them here. I’d like to know how the analysis became, Hey let’s just pluck ’em from the southern border of Mexico, to our own southern border!
I’d like to be in that room where these competing analyses were presented.
Even the recent drone strike in which we discussed at length here in the previous thread, NH, as they would be related as well; also of course what chempo’s commenting on agreeing with Micha and me agreeing with them both.
Joe’s and everyone in the media’s Follow the science, isnt really that; its follow the scientists, which is scientism—- no matter your intentions to save lives or to destroy lives, many times in the middle of an event you don’t really know which is which that you’re doing.
Difference with chempo with his conspiracy theories is that its just full of hunches, ones where he’s been wrong before, but chempo doesn’t see that. in his own meta-analysis of his own analyses , he’s been correct. Like my talk with him re Intelligent design, what he has is a hunch. He never presents evidence, just more hunches, in a way chempo’s like i7sharp but wordier.
Thus more convincing. same danger though with scientism. instead of scientists you’re following talking heads or big mouths. or both. who also tend to be wrong. Like George Gilder.
Which brings me back to the Foundation trilogy, specially the last part of the third book about Arcadia, grand-daughter of Bayta, the beginning and last of that last story is key.
You have all these personalities coming together, and conspiring and scheming about the Second Foundation, then the story develops, and you’re essentially back in that room again conspiring and scheming and sharing analyses (because these analyses lets be honest is our attempts to nudge and prod people to our views).
So the last scene is , I know where the Second Foundation is!!! there is no such thing!!! its on planet A, NO!!! it is on planet so and so; obviously folks its on planet 3, a circle has no end? Mind Static will shed light (literally and figuratively), BOOM. 2nd Foundation: what a bunch of goofballs… the end.
My point, we need a Mind static device to use on Joe and chempo. Or just simply take solace that the Second Foundation has our best interest in mind. Controlled or not controlled.
That trilogy is so relevant, NH, worth re-reading.
oooops!
That was in respons to NH‘s :
“The link itself is a critique of meta-analyses itself. The author criticizes the MA done on several papers and proposed instead MA to be done on what is called Individual Patient Data or IPD.
Conclusion: I propose that the analyses of Joe, chempo, Lance, if they are called analyses should be subjected to Hyper Meta-Analysis. 🙂 “
My hunches I think have been 90% good. But that’s only because i’m taking on more analysis and playing false equivalency with them, then throw them out or keep. So in a way I’m using a drag net.
Where as Joe and chempo, are already selective in their in-take process. but from other ends.
Micha should be the focus because Micha’s stance is out of pattern. from let’s follow the gov’t, to lets be libertarians now! I think everyone’s on pattern except for Micha re this subject. Let’s use the Mind Static device on Micha!
This is me, NH
(i hope there’s no micro-plastics in the water 😉 )
Not only microplastics, but prescription meds, dangerous and recreational drugs. Fish today are addicts and full of plastic.
“isk’s example of immigration paradox, where Republicans are clamoring for more Afghans saved… ”
————
I believe the Republican Party is consistent with the rule of law. On Afghanistan SIV’s processing, it was time constraint due to an unforeseen collapse of the Afghani government amid intel warning. On the southern border chaos, I think it was the end result of taking down the buffer zone in Mexico, the Migrant Protection Protocols.
What is confusing and really does not make sense is when America is being portrayed as racist globally but still people risk their lives to get into the United States.
Racism you can live with, isk; cost benefit analysis is still regardless of that socio aspect of the US, economic is what they want. Racism i’m sure they are also feeling from the Latin American countries they’ve just left. Haitians speak French.
US isn’t the only racist country in the world.
But my hunch is either Mexico organized them to go to Ciudad Acunya where that Del Rio bridge is. or maybe China/Russia spreading rumors that the US will accept them with open arms at the border.
The Haitians are being pawned around. No ones investigating.
Makes sense that its Mexico, but now they have a bunch of Haitians, so unless that was part of the plan all along then Mexico wins. As you know the Haitians are all pretty much gone now like overnight, I’m sure Biden had to pay Mexico 2 time thrice what Trump negotiated a year ago.
Shake down.
Haitians said they all received texts to go to Ciudad Acunya, how they got there en masse is another question not being answered by our media here. Supposedly most of the Haitians are now in the southern area of Mexico, Chiapas area i think.
Someones organizing and moving these Haitians, who is the question.
Mexico?
Russia?
China?
Or it could just be President Biden’s speech awhile back, essentially saying we have open borders now.
Shot our own toe, opened our mouth too soon.
But yeah, Trump had a good deal going with Mexico as our wall.
Maybe Mexico just wanted to re-negotiate, get more for less? i dunno.
I read somewhere that a bunch of TNT Filipinos returned to the Philippines during Trump times; I wonder if they’re coming back. Because if you’ve overstayed but never got caught then returned; I don’t think Dept of State or US CIS will ever know if you were TNT, thus can simply reapply.
Thanks Sir Lance
What is twisted to me are the anti-Americans wanting to be Americans.
Racism and discrimination are everywhere, extrimism is what people watchout for, but LCX and I had this debate that Pinoys sort of have this anywhere but the Philippines attitude where hey go to wartorn places in Mena and South and Central Asia. Fire-Frying pan thing.
about Latin Americans wanting to go to US: Canada to the rescue.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-could-take-some-central-american-migrants-help-us-minister-2021-06-09/
Agree totally. Efforts of US government have been directed to breaking down racial barriers to economic opportunity, in the main. Giving those disadvantaged a shot at college, job, or promotion. Women, too. Trump went the other way and now Republicans are making it difficult for minorities to vote. The white supremicist view reflects the source of the problem, predominately racist rich white fat cats seeking economic domination and rule over the state. Neo-facism. It causes me to raise an eyebrow when people of color go along with it. Chempo, for instance, or any Filipino who is pro-Trump. I don’t get it. The Jan 6 capitol raid showed the make-up of the movement, predominantly white, generally 50s and 60s in age. Militaristic. Hostile. Extremist. Same bunch driving the anti-mask and anti-vaccine movements.
Thanks Joe for your precious inputs.
I’m going to show your remark to my wife who is rather surly because I blamed her for leaving the old grounds in the coffee cooker. 🤣😂🤣
Hahaha
Joe, re coffee cooker. I am with the good wife on this.
At least from my experience with my Bialetti [over the stove] coffee maker, I do not clean the coffee maker from the coffee grounds right after use, I do it the next day. And when I do, I clean the maker with just water — I don’t scrape the maker clean of coffee stain. I find the coffee tastes better that way. Meaning a sparkling clean new coffee maker (at least my Bialetti) does not make good coffee the first time. Either that or I have a funny taste. 🙂
Please give my regards to the good wife.
She smiled. She just rinses, too.
@ Sir Joe and @ Sir NHerrera
Greetings to your spouses, they must be having lots of patience! Or maybe vice versa.
Am a fan of the I-ching and tarot cards, but never got around really to reading coffee grounds from Turkish styled coffee, looks more fun than just simply getting rid of coffee grounds,
https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-read-interpret-Turkish-coffee-to-tell-your-fortune
“Turn the glass upside down for a while. After waiting a couple minutes take the glass from the table. When you look at it you will see shapes. Try to see images and find connections. They will tell you a story about your future or your hidden past. But only some people have the talent to see the story.”
Check these general rules that cover the basics of Turkish coffee reading:
1. You shouldn’t interpret your own cup. (If you will do it just for practicing symbol learning, it’s OK).
2. You don’t give the same cup to a different reader to double check the given reading. Have in mind that most of the professionals perform “whole impression” and not just cup reading symbols.
3. Turkish cup fortune telling always starts from the cup’s handle. You move from right to left if the person is right-handed or left to right for left-handed.
Said process should also be applicable in a non-flushable toilet situation, where you use a tabo/ kabo or pale of water to flush, so before one “flushes” have someone read the contents. LOL! so long as its not watery should be good.
offtopic:
Dame Soliman.
“We stand to our glasses ready.”
Terrible sadness. She threatened to give me a hug, when we met, for my defense of President Aquino. We never met. RIP, fine lady.
Rest in peace, Madame Soliman. The good indeed die young. Maybe it is nature’s way of preserving their goodness and incorruptibility.
dinky will meet ex president noy in the other life. she with her backpack always together with pnoy in ground zeros, delivering aids and hope and helping. rest in peace, dinky, and say hi to pnoy from all of us.
Rest in peace Ma’am Dinky Soliman
One of the famous Hyatt 10, may you Rest In Peace.
On Matrix, we have the big looming multi-dimensional PH matrix becoming bigger by day, occupying social media chatter, which matrix will shape the country for years and decades to come after the 2022 election — some say the last chance to do a corrective change. This matrix involves:
– the combination of P-VP candidates only one of which has a confirmed combination;
– the changing and difficult to divine views of the ABCDE voter classes (nominally 10% ABC, 60% D, 30% E);
– the outside observers/ participants, US and China, among others, covert or otherwise;
– the donations from sources, covert or otherwise;
– the dirty tricks;
– the social media information/ disinformation that is now and will sure to come in greater frequency through trolls;
– the handling of the election by Comelec and its voting instruments of voting machines, and participation of national organizations.
These are only a few but maybe the main elements of the multi-layered matrix, a mathematical tensor.
This is my one centavo worth of thought for the day. To go beyond — like naming personalities — will go against TSH’s editorial policies.
“– the changing and difficult to divine views of the ABCDE voter classes (nominally 10% ABC, 60% D, 30% E);”
Whats the forecasted demographics with age now, NH?
Because here, I would say that especially with the recent spike in the Bible belt and South, they are confident that Dems will be significantly more. Gen Z is the winner, and Gen Z tends to vote AOC/Bernie.
So AOC for sure 2024, i’m hoping.
I don’t know about the voter’s demographics by age. The ABCDE voters classes I take from my recollection of the Social Weather Station (SWS) pollings of years ago. I will imagine that the actual PHP income levels may have changed but not the comparative levels of the classes reflected in those percentages may remain. I recall for example that the AB class itself is about 1% — the very rich and includes of course quite a few of the government officials — and the C class the 9% which may include the upper part of the middle class. The D class includes most of the middle class but the tail end may include the poor class which is mostly in the E class.
Karl, if he finds the time may be able to help.
At your service.
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/number-registered-voters-elections-2019
Thanks a lot, Chief (Librarian).
👍👍👍😀
30-30-30-10 , that 10% has I’m presuming been decimated no? So again Gen Z is key. Thanks , karl.
Offtopic:
I wish Dame Robredo or anyone close to her be able to read this.
What’s with the hesitation? Why back away? Why hedge bets on a very questionable character of a boxing “hero” with disturbing worldviews and ideologies? Why a provincial position instead of taking the lead to get the nation back on track?
No one else could bring out true reform, as many of the presidentiables are clearly not contending for the fate of the nation, but for prolonging all forms of suffering and waging fear and uncertainty, to continue to profit at our own expense, and worse of all, setting back all the freedoms and rights that were fought for.
Ma’am, you are in the best position possible to save this country, for unless you step into the fray, we’re going to lose everything.
This sounds like a very dangerous (that or just silly) approach to the 2022 election.
I’m for AOC, but have no qualms if she doesn’t run. I’ve not framed it as either or.
This is like a Dutch Boy approach, making saviours of people who want nothing with the role.
If you transpose “Dame Robredo” , with say “Inday Sara” , it works just the same. There’s no policy talk or comparative view. See?
I said that not because kneeling down on the ground she walks on nor she with a silver spoon but because she has logic and common sense.
I said so on the basis of just how this government is inflicting the worst psychological damage upon a populace ever, and if we allow a bunch of gangsters to win, it’ll be game over — all those deaths of those who fought for us before would be for nothing.
Either it’s a new age of restored sanity, or again, be on the streets or in the hills.
But there’s only one saviour?
You see the danger in that type of thinking? Becuz there’s people also thinking Inday Sara is the saviour; or the Pac-man is.
But if you frame it as comparative, what they’ve done in the past and what policies they say they’ll champion, for example internet access, etc. What are their stances on this… See,
then you have a better means of deciding who’s best, but VP Robredo as another Cory, is just wrong. Hagiography is not politics.
We are in the what have you done for me lately world or what mistake have you done lately.
Leni has so far not done such mistakes, but the opposite. I guess the worst mistake she will do is not to decide to run. I will wait till the deadline October 8 then be disappointed on the 9th if she decides not to run.
I’m with you, karlG. why rush? leni is taking her time to mull things over. she is the kind of candidate that once her dice is thrown, it’s thrown and she’ll stay true to the end. and if she takes on marcos one on one, she’ll do it again, sabi. at gaya nyo rin, I’ll wait for 8th of october and if leni decides not to run for president, I’ll be disappointed, but I’ll get over my disappointment.
I’ve seen isko moreno’s promo video right after he declared his candidacy for president with dr willi ong as vice. I have so much to say about isko’s video but holding my peace at the moment ako, muzzled.
as for sara, she’s asking her support base to support her father’s vice presidential candidacy. love me, love my father, lol!
👍👍👍
The comparative is unstated and fairly simple. The character elements run strong, honesty, civility, compassion. Then competence shown through recent deed. Then nationalism vs self- dealing. Then who are your friends.
karl, Joe…
I guess my point is just that there should be a plan A, B, C, D, etc. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th choices, if VP Leni wants to just lay low then fine, who’s next.
Dick Gordon, for example, I’d like to hear more about this dude. And if he doesn’t wanna run either, then how about seriously considering the Pac-man, a guy that’s seen the worst and best of the Philippines.
And if not him,
why not seriously accept Inday Sara.
But for sure, Bong-Bong should be kicked in the nuts, by VP Leni, but if not then Bam-Bam, or even Mar. Fuck Bong-Bong.
Have some kind of plan of attack. Don’t re-do that Mar asking Poe to join forces at the last minute crap. Have a plan.
I’m still thinking Inday Sara is it come next year. Is it so bad? Maybe VP Leni is pro-Inday Sara, and that’s why she’s not running. i dunno.
I think Moreno is this year’s Poe, rejecting second position in a unity plan that by seniority should favor Robredo. The remaining issue is whether Robredo feels winning is so important that she drops out and supports Moreno as the main opposition. Trillanes is number 2 behind Robredo for a lot of people but I don’t think he has big money backing. Moreno is number 2 for a lot of people. Lacson, Gordon, and Pacquiao are not serious contenders for most. Duterte, Go, and Marcos are autocrats, by most people’s thinking, so unqualified.
Most people don’t do studious review of policies because, although it may be logically fallacious reasoning, a given incident will turn them away from a candidate, so Lacson is attached to his brutal history and favoring of the anti-terrorism law, Gordon is attached to his betrayal of De Lima and enabling of EJKs, and Pacquiao is attached to his absence from the senate and pro-death penalty Christianity. Moreno does not have such baggage, but yellows don’t trust him much. Robredo has no baggage and a lot of performance chips.
joeam, speaking of policies, methink duterte stole a leaf from 1sambayan’s policy, notably carpio’s stance in west phil sea. in duterte’s speech sa united nations, duterte once again ‘instigated’ our country’s arbitral win vs china. vehemently abrogated (cant think of the right word) at home, but dramatically said overseas much to the amusement of foreign eyes, ears and investors.
duterte is seemingly ambassadoring for 1sambayan, lol! cannot be denied that 1sambayan tops in foreign policy and duterte can only beg steal or borrow from 1sambayan! kudos then to sambayan! there are few more 1sambayan policies that duterte will again beg steal or borrow, lol!
I think it’s simpler, 1sambayan and Secretary Locsin have the same view and President Duterte trusts Locsin to cover his ass internationally.
It would be good to explore LcplX’s suggestion to make next year’s election a policy or ideology centered contest. By doing so, the opposition would have gained the distinction of bringing the country’s political maturity in the positive direction.
Will it be a winning strategy contest-wise? Not 100% guaranteed of course but the key, I think, is to go bold.
We might have been vehemently opposed to DU30’s 2016 promise of “killing all drug addicts in the name of saving the country” but his strategy of boldness in policy proposal earned him enough voters to clinched the throne.
What might the opposition candidate(s) offer as a bold policy proposal next year? Each could make one depending on their ideological bent.
For starters, how about a UBI of 10,000 PHP per month for every adult citizen for the entire duration, at least, of this pandemic?
Or maybe nationalize all water and electricity generation/distribution and stick a middle finger at the neoliberal chutzpah.
Whatever it is, the idea is for the candidate to come up with something that would capture the voters primal interest and imagination fueled by his own ideological fount.
IOW, tunay, hindi peke.
Meron bang ganun si Ma’m Leni?
I say revive all the victims of the past 6 years’ EJKs, Micha! ala Lazarus.
A little Biblical and bold. The true test of DU30s policy, because I gotta feeling people will vote “Keep ’em dead!”.
But seriously, with COVID19 people are sick and tired of problems,
giving people free or fast internet will be doable and bold, IMHO. But also related to COVID19, indirectly.
A Starlink package for every household with premium lifetime subscription to PornHub?
Haha…looks like a winner. I can imagine Moreno’s team doing that with some assist from a handful of McKinsey guys.
Seriously though, Peru recently elected Pedro Castillo, an indigenous school teacher running on a platform of universal education and wealth distribution beating the right wing neoliberal daughter of Alberto Fujimori.
So yeah, why not some serious tsinelas governance from Ms. Robredo too.
Pedro Castillo reminds me of Evo Morales. I don’t think he did much for Bolivia. I’m a big fan of Pepe Mujica, but poor people leading tend to bring their countries down with them. Unless you go with the Che Guevara route and take up arms, but no one wants eternal revolutions.
And universal education doesn’t work, we’ve seen the limits of factory styled education with COVID19, can you imagine being a 2 grader right now, listening to Dr. Seuss being read with a teacher whose got a mask on? lower grades, so much of the cues are gleaned from your teachers facial expressions.
UBI i’m totally for, doable here IMHO especially with your MMT; i think impossible there, unless the US goes with digital currency soon.
NO, Micha , tsinelas and lugaw isn’t going to bring up the Philippines; I mean as a Luddite here , I like. But at a national level, dubious at best. Like prayers in place of politics. its a joke.
So if VP Robredo or Isko , et al are anti-corruption, pro-education, and pro-distribution of wealth (though not the communist, what’s yours is mine crap), then it has to be with internet.
According to Globe’s statement, before 2020, it took 29 to 35 permits to build one cell tower. Among these are a barangay (village) permit, neighbor’s consent, radiation evaluation, mayor’s permit, occupancy permit, and more. “This is the primary reason why the internet is ‘slow’ in the Philippines,” Crisanto added.
There are many factors that contribute to the inadequate internet services in the country, particularly the lack of competition in the industry. Right now, two companies are basically running the telecommunications scene — Globe Telecom and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) — both owned by powerful and long-established conglomerates. There are smaller players, but they only offer fixed broadband plans and not mobile internet. Because competition is limited, experts say that there’s little incentive for these companies to improve infrastructure and services.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7vy3m/why-internet-speeds-philippines-slow-laws
1. Corruption
2. Lack of Competition
VP Leni and/or Isko, or Inday Sara, can tackle both 1 and 2, as they are related. Plus its measurable, unlike EJKs.
I see this is already Inday Sara’s niche,
from: https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/19/news/ph-internet-speed-up-by-741/1807616
THE Philippines’ fixed broadband internet speed has improved by 741.34 percent since 2016, according to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index for June.
Mobile speed also improved by 341.40%.
The country’s fixed broadband download speed in July 2016 was only at 7.91 megabit per second (Mbps), while mobile speed was at 7.44 Mbps.
Based on Ookla’s report, the country’s average download speed for fixed broadband climbed up to 66.55 Mbps, while mobile average download speed was at 32.84 Mbps.
The speed improvement was attributed to President Rodrigo Duterte’s support for better telecommunication infrastructures. Last year, the President directed government agencies to streamline the process of issuance of tower permits to speed up the building of telecommunications towers.
Since 2017, the Philippines has also climbed its way up to the global internet speed ranking.
__________________________________________
But , there’s no link to any of the sources! is Manila Times a legit news source there?
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Information and Communications Technology on Thursday lauded the country’s “impressive” growth in internet speed over the past year.
Data from internet speed monitoring firm Ookla showed the Philippines recorded an average download speed of 71.17 megabits per second (Mbps) for fixed broadband and 33.69 Mbps for mobile Internet for July 2021, the DICT said in a statement.
In the same month last year (July 2020), average internet speeds in the country were only at 25.07 Mbps for fixed broadband and 16.95 Mbps for mobile Internet.
“These data show us the impressive rate of growth of our country’s internet speeds in just a year,” DICT Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II was quoted as saying.
He vowed that his agency will continue to coordinate with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and other government agencies and private stakeholders to ensure that internet speeds for fixed broadband and mobile internet will continue their upward trajectory in the coming months.
Honasan attributed the increase in internet speed in the country to President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive last year for telcos to improve their services amid the pandemic, and of the strengthened roll-out of DICT’s digital connectivity initiatives.
Read more: https://technology.inquirer.net/111484/dict-credits-impressive-growth-in-internet-speed-to-common-tower-policy#ixzz77CQAtIGh
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Actually, numbers look legit. Inday Sara 2022!!!
Manila Times is considered a whackadoodle political rag by many.
I am home-bound and on PLDT fiber optics, getting an average of ~ 75 Mbps. I am ok then. Didn’t want to pay any higher for higher speeds. I believe the 3.6 Mbps for the Philippine average is on the low side. That may be old data. Again, help, karl if you have the time and you have not reached the limit of my pestering you.
Lance, a sizeable part of the US rural areas too have low internet speeds, I recall reading recently. Especially when compared to counterparts in the West. Of course, there is no “rural” areas in Europe? I hope, Irineo will lend me a hand.
Ok lang karl, Lance posted subsequent comments.
NH, there’s Elon Musk’s starlink now, but I have buddies in the boondocks using satellite service for internet– though not very reliable. But yeah, in the rockies area and the western states pretty much, but most in the east coast is pretty good connectivity wise.
Me personally I think all this radiation and waves is bad for the brain.
But if we just focus on things getting done under DU30 s reign, a 740% improvement in internet speed, is pretty bad ass. I never knew things can be improved more than 100%, NH!!! and just 4 years to boot! the last 2 was fast tracked due to COVID19.
Filipinos should be wanting DU30 to remain president for another term!!! this guy gets things done!
As for rural Europe remember the Hills are alive in the sound of music…
https://visiteurope.com/en/experience/exploring-the-rural-wonders-of-europe/
That third telco took time, remrmber even Ramon Ang was not able to convince the Australians not to back out.
The Chinese forced their way to the military camps.
Duterte is so proud that he doubled the salaries of the soldiers
Your query about the internet speeds NH
https://www.rappler.com/technology/philippines-mobile-fixed-broadband-internet-speed-rankings-ookla-july-2021
The big picture on the submarine cables with a sidenote on satellites and drones.
https://www2.telegeography.com/submarine-cable-faqs-frequently-asked-questions
Re PH current status on internet speed, thanks a lot, Chief.
Welcome
Joe, NH, et al.
Let me ask you guys this,
Can you actually experience the difference in internet speed there now? I remember Joe always saying something about bandwidth threshold thus unable to view videos. how’s now?
Since like this is a big issue that just got solved. Really big, and crickets…
I remember entrepreneurs in Cebu talking about this same topic in the mid-2000s , about how internet sucks, and as graphic or media digital artists and creatives they can’t do much, I wonder what industries are now open to Filipinos given this infrastructure development.
And if DU30 an d Inday Sara are promoting this accomplishment actively, cuz this i would think is pretty big. The red tape, bringing in competition, etc.
I wonder too if bringing in the Chinese online gambling industry has anything to do with the jumpstarting of all this; but that’s all water under the bridge, so will Filipinos run with this?
Joe jr. would be our resident expert I suppose, he’d know the difference, in the gaming sector, of the last 6 years.
Let’s give credit where credit is due, we can talk about EJKs pro and con it to kingdom come; but i think we can all agree faster internet is a win for all, SIKs, for slow internet kills?
Could anyone else have delivered this? Can any of the candidates keep this going? Who?
Internet speed stepped up a few years ago when telcos got new frequencies and switched to LTE. So it became servicable though occasionally prone to lags. My son’s connectivity is good for school and gaming. I suspect high-end users would go to where there is fiber and buy what they need. The expense of distance learning is a problem for millions of kids, both gear and hook-ups. I think schools buy the bandwidth but don’t know about that.
The most science-based, achievement-oriented presidential prospect is Robredo. But I don’t think internet connectivity will be a major campaign issue, versus covid, drug war, corruption, and China. I think you are right, though, it can be the foundation for a lot of good things.
I am not into computer gaming and am not a software developer, so my needs are minimal. I ran Netflix alright when I had only a 10-15 Mbps download speed without problems. Of course, I am happier now with fiber optics giving me an average download speed of ~ 75 Mbps, upload of ~ 50 Mbps. I am mostly home-bound even before the Pandemic. When I am out I use my mobile essentially for calls and texts.
My old ipad mini is still useful for internet surfing and reading pdf or epub ebooks.
The older model is useless already.
Free money would win the election but I’m inclined to think P500 in the hand is worth as much as P120,000 in promises, unless a liar is making the promises then they’d be believed. Conceptual work here is bizarre in that regard. Free Wifi, as LCX suggests, could work if it were papered in red ribbons and bows falling from the ceiling to look like a promo or Wowwowwee hand-out. Gordon is being criticized at a policy level (EJKs, De Lima), and Moreno for running ads on personality rather than policy. Well, he is for the drug war so his policy platform has some vulnerability. Those liberals and their damned policy demands.
In a tagalog teleserye Iam watching free wifi by drone is the proposal, I guess a candidate can pickup from that.
On twitter our discussion was UBI and wealth tax.
I think the makabayan block filed a wealth tax bill
I guess only ten out of 50 wealthiest are in the top 50 tax payers list.
With UBI legislated I guess the 4ps may go because UBI has no conditions technically but there are always conditions.
I appreciate the discussions above related to the 2022 election.
Micha’s policy-oriented strategy should be considered. But with great care on the policy choice, not an unthinking addition or listing of policies that will just be impossible or hard to implement and worse campaign-wise. I will also refine the concept to a Policy Plus Strategy (PPS) — with the actual choice and campaign spanning the spectrum in emphasis from Policy strong to Non-Policy strong strategy and tactics.
Yes to a critically-considered PPS strategy.
That said, Joe’s rephrased P500 bird in the hand is worth P120,000 in the bush is still the reality hereabouts — a consideration to temper the PPS strategy and its handling.
Which not necessarily in money terms as expressed in the bird-bush metaphor above but the PPS strategy pitch may be developed in the form of para sa ating kailanganan ngayon at para sa ating kinabukasan [for our needs now and for our future needs].
Para Ngayon – Para Kinabukasan (PN-PK) strategy.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1474046/coa-doles-p-1-572-b-unliquidated-cash-advances-liable-for-misuse
Pasensya na NH naghahanap ako ng kausap dito
One department alone can advance billions without liquidating it.
Then they say we have no money.
Now I believe that we are not cash poor.
True. We are not that poor. If only government funds were handled the way Leni Robredo handled her limited funds, PH would have taken off and go past the earth’s gravitational pull using that rocket metaphor.
Yup. But the next pres should not be defeatist kuno when it comes to putting a stop to corruption.
Support Coa, cleanup Ombudsman, implenent sandigsn bayan reform law by drafting its IRR
Sincere blue ribbon and not johnny come lately
we are not that poor? pero utang pa rin tayo ng utang, already our external debts is humongous, our local debts is just as humongous. finance man dominguez must be seeing mirage! sina micheal yang et al at dabaw en blanc lang naman ang yumaman ng todo; michael yang and cohorts buying all the luxury cars! buying test kits near expiry dates must have cost less; bargain sale at bottom price, but still cost doh top price. somebody must have gotten mega commission! and the gatekeeper (bong go?) who unleash michael yang on duterte must be proud of what has been accomplished, lol!
anyhow, bong go is all over the country, epaling himself no end, opening more malasakit centers, nearly usurping dswd’s job and giving aids to those hit by storms. being seen and be seen and being heard and reported on by nationwide media, which to me, is portentous of bong go soon to launch his own candidacy for the top position come 2022 election, maybe with duterte as running mate.
Sabi nga nila pag mayaman ka ibig sabihin baon ka sa utang. lahat pala ng tao mayaman.
Maybe a wealth tax can force the rich to share their wealth
With the indulgence of some in TSH. Is Isko a political 5-star? To go by a recent Tweet, Reminder: 16M fans on FB. Theoretically, *if* every Doc Willie Ong fan on FB voted for Yorme he would win the presidency, MLQ3 implies so.
Perhaps, Isko-Ong P-VP tandem is an example of the PN-PK strategy I wrote above.
a 5star politico? that should make isko moreno uber happy! to think, he’s near stratospheric as his idol, makoy, lol! isko once said he has good memories of the marcos years, with he and his father going to luneta to see free movies. now as adult and as previous actor, isko must have realized that some of those actors and actresses that appeared in the free movies in luneta died poor and did not receive their royalties. methink, some could not even afford a burial plot. as mayor of the city of manila, kahit posthumous man lang, isko ought to honor those ill-fated actors and actresses and give their families their due.
as for dr willie ong, the number of his facebook followers did not equate votes. ong did not win a senatorial seat.
facebook fans dont always deliver. mocha also has millions of facebook fans and yet, mocha also failed to win senatorial seat and only got nearly a quarter of a million votes.
Thanks for your notes, KB. My note stamped
NHerrera says:
September 22, 2021 at 1:54 pm
is based on a Tweet from MLQ3. Even he uses the “if” word to make his comment and thus most probably doubts the translation of the FB fans to votes.
some fans are fake and have multiple accounts.
For information — the completed Presidencies of previous PH Presidents taken from MLQ3’s Tweet:
https://news.yahoo.com/can-bidens-short-lived-honeymoon-with-europe-be-salvaged-090034861.html
The government of French President Emmanuel Macron has been lambasting the Biden administration over its undiplomatic behavior ever since last week’s announcement that the U.S., U.K. and Australia had formed a new Indo-Pacific security pact called AUKUS, in which Australia will buy $66 billion of U.S.-made nuclear submarines. That alliance, which Macron learned about only hours before being made public, effectively torpedoed a $37 billion Australian order with France for a submarine fleet.
=====
I have read reports that Aus informed or gave hints to France that they wanted out a long time ago.
So was Macron lying or is just not the micro-manager type. (aka clueless and out of the loop)
I think the screw-up was the Aussie/US/UK poor handling of the publicity, not the substance of the deal. There still is no effort being made to tamp down French rage. I think maybe people don’t like Macron much. Must be more to it that we don’t see.
More than meets the eye.
uk’s boris johnson told macron to get a grip, lol! no matter what macron does now, australia will not buy anymore subs from france. franco-australia sub deal is dead and can not be resurrected.
the best thing macron can do now is to dance the cancan, put on a brave face and ask for compensation for france’s hurt pride, be diplomatic instead of rallying all of eu not to trade with australia.
if macron goes down that path, french trade and french products sold in australia could be affected too. at the moment, macron is being stubborn, refusing to talk to the prime minister of australia and not returning the prime minister’s call.
for a statesman, macron is behaving like a child, immature. and to think macron’s party did not do well in france’s regional election in june 2021. the coming presidential election in april 2022 does not bode well with macron. he could well be replaced.
Mayhaps.
Good analysis of the situation.
It is calming down now. https://www.ft.com/content/530e8cf4-1bd7-4c8d-90e0-65c214a27ea6?segmentID=d000ce45-8c25-aa67-8d82-a8ab39602280&twclid=11441631966537785348
Here is another view of AUKUS from the geopolitical scientist, George Friedman
Click to access why-australia-spurned-france-geopoliticalfutures-com.pdf
Excerpt:
********
Behind the noise, Australia’s decision was about geopolitics, not contracts. When the agreement with France was signed in 2016, and in the years prior to 2016 when the deal was negotiated, the world looked different than it does today.
…
War is not inevitable, nor in my opinion likely. But nations must prepare for the worst-case scenario. To buy equipment from France raises the question of French intentions and capabilities in the event of war.
…
The acquisition of weapons must be part of a systematic and common interest. France did not fit this profile. Its action or inaction from Australia’s point of view is unpredictable. France has its interests, and it is not clear they will align with Australia’s.
In 2016, this was not an issue. Now it is.
The submarine acquisition ties together three island nations. Britain and Australia are clearly islands. The United States, as the dominant power in North America, is also an island nation. World War II was fundamentally a naval war, even if other services absorbed the mass of casualties.
….
Australia faces a potential threat from China, which is pressing for access and control of the Western Pacific. Australia cannot confront China alone. The United States cannot cede the Pacific in whole or in part to China. In the event of a war – here again, I regard this as unlikely – Australia must have a relationship with a power that can block China and that has an imperative to do so. As in World War II, Australia must be able to play a significant role in the war.
When we look at it this way, we can understand the geopolitical logic in Australia’s shift on the purchase of submarines.
….
France has limited interests in the Pacific and certainly no interest or ability to wage an extended war there … Of course, France understands as much but finds it useful to portray itself as betrayed.
….
But far more interesting is to watch the evolution of the Five Eyes, the intelligence consortium of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The three major powers have already woven an alliance moving well beyond intelligence.
The most important point is that a very real international alliance system centered on the ocean is emerging. NATO is still there, but its mission and capabilities in the event of war are unclear. This English-speaking alliance moves forward in steps. We need to read the repudiation of the French contract in this light. And perhaps France’s rage, which goes beyond an undeniably lucrative contract, has something to do with this.
********
Oops. Sorry, Joe. I did not know the URL of the link will reproduce the article itself, so need for my excerpts of the article.
“But nations must prepare for the worst-case scenario. “
What if said preparation, brings said worst-case scenario to life?
Some old dude named Thucydides i think wrote something about that.
When the aspect of business overshadows the geo-political aspect:
The excerpt is good. It says the alliance make sense, France does not, and maybe French temperament has something to do with it. 🤔🤔🤔
Here is an antecedent article [August 3, 2021] by George Friedman titled, “China and the Element of Surprise.” I find it an interesting read in combination with that of the AUKUS article above.
https://geopoliticalfutures.com/china-and-the-element-of-surprise/?utm_source=GPF+Free+Newsletter&utm_campaign=7d14c8fa28-20210921_FL_Weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f716b3bf65-7d14c8fa28-264939917&mc_cid=7d14c8fa28&mc_eid=64b85b474f
Big lead-up to peace, haha! Well, when Xi’s term is over maybe sense and civility will return. Except that the US, domestically, is on a war footing. Good grief! It is noteworthy that the West and China each just freed hostages, a phone company exec for two Canadian journalists. So there is talk going on.
These policy wonks and academics always confuse me, NH. theyre either too naive peaceniks or too much warmongering.
“First strike is critical.” last sentence of the first paragraph;
“That leaves a political settlement.” last sentence of the last paragraph.
He’s obviously, touting the Kessinger line, peace with China, why not just say it up top then expand how it can be done, instead of writing a whole what if piece only to end up with that last sentence.
Just say “political settlement is our first strike!”. Like Gen. Milley with his counterpart Chinese Gen. Li Zuocheng re Trump is cray-cray. Nothings worth going to war over (yet)– not South China sea not Taiwan. Maybe the Moon, but the Moon’s pretty big.
Which leaves only political settlement.
Helpful also is to consider Pascal’s matrix, but more modern and expansive,
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal-wager/
“Pascal’s Wager” is the name given to an argument due to Blaise Pascal for believing, or for at least taking steps to believe, in God. The name is somewhat misleading, for in a single section of his Pensées, Pascal apparently presents at least three such arguments, each of which might be called a ‘wager’—it is only the final of these that is traditionally referred to as “Pascal’s Wager”.
“The submarine acquisition ties together three island nations. Britain and Australia are clearly islands. The United States, as the dominant power in North America, is also an island nation. World War II was fundamentally a naval war, even if other services absorbed the mass of casualties.”
Hahahaha… with this definition all 7 continenants are all islands,
well except for Europe which is actually just the Western tip of Asia. Which makes 6 continents, but Panama actually connects South America , which makes North and South Americas just one island. But then again you have the Panama canal which effectively cuts it off. But that’s man made.
Same with the Suez canal i suppose, also. So yeah 6 continents. if you add man-made canals.
But if Antartica is solid ice and it melts because we’re busy making submarines, and other stuff, then we’ll just have 5 continents.
I’m surprise nothing from chempo and /or Micha about Cyber Ninjas in AZ yet.
Basically,
they concluded that Joe Biden won;
but also that audits are cool and there should be more of them. LOL! 😉
IMHO, they should also have re-call elections in CA until my girl Caitlyn wins.
Seriously though, so long as its privately funded and they keep wearing primary colors coordinated open tallies, it keeps election officials on their toes.
Plus, more participatory. its all good IMHO.
If the fishing expedition for fraud in the Arizona recount was successful, it was supposed to trigger the domino effect across several other swing states and bring back the Orange Man back into the White House. Maricopa was part of a conspiracy of a stolen election – or so they thought it was.
Turns out even the Ninjas couldn’t dig the dirt.
Charges of having been cheated is a feature of Philippine elections – not in a supposedly mature and advanced country like the US.
The antics of the Orange Dickhead is but one of the many symptoms of a rotting declining society.
Some are cautioning that the purpose of the Arizona challenge was to set a precedent for challenges in future elections as a basis for delegitimizing them and leading to a (successful) overthrow of democracy.
The Trumpist idiots have already expanded the circus to Texas.
https://creativemarket.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-leading-kerning-and-tracking
I hope Harris county (where Houston is located), learned from Maricopa county.
That this is all a PR battle. Maricopa county could’ve totally owned Cyber Ninjas, by explaining and countering word for word their allegations and insinuations. I have not yet come across a sufficient easy to understand rebuttle by Maricopa county, instead their Twitter (which is their main platform that they are using, instead of youtube or regular media from their own podium), and they usually couch it with “We shouldn’t have to explain this, but…” (just explain it).
If Cyber Ninja descends upon Houston, and sets up shop similarly with primary colours for shirts, like Tellytubbies. Every day, Harris county officials should be explaining away, this is what we’re doing now, this is what Cyber Ninja requested. This is the equipment we used, here’s this and that. No bamboo paper , no Sharpies. Explain to the public the details of the process whilst Cyber Ninja is going thru theirs.
PR is akin to typography, you have kerning which is the spacing horizontally between letters; and leading (ledding, as in lead metal, not ‘to lead’) is vertical spacing up and down, if you don’t take care of your spacing, both kerning and leading, people will fill in between the lines. Cover it. In a matter of speaking Cyber Ninjas are tracking, extending. Justifying. When you justify your sentences you’re stretching it, filling. Thus don’t leave a vacuum,
that’s Maricopa county’s fault. They just let Cyber Ninjas roll over them. its a PR battle. go head to head with them.
No dumbo, it was the cyber ninjas who was totally owned in maricopa. It was complete humiliation for those bunch of conspiracy lunatics looking for evidence of a non-existent crime.
And why expand the circus in Texas when the Orange Dickhead was already declared winner in the state? It’s redundant and unnecessary, wasting millions in the process.
No, Specks! if the Ninjas were totally owned at Maricopa they’d not be able to take their show on the road, all similar audits rests on what happens in Maricopa.
The fact that the Ninja hearing ended with , We are gonna request further investigation from the AG re voting machines, means Maricopa was not able to shut and close the Ninjas down,
thus Harrison county should learn from Maricopa and take a more proactive approach. Again this is a PR battle. They are finding friendly state lawmakers (or governors, like in Texas’ case) and checking county by county.
So long as theres precedence, and money is privately funded, they can keep this going, until a county actually stands up and point by point rebutts them. Maricopa failed to do that.
that’s why you’re gonna see more of them and more of these. The Cyber Ninjas won, they got what they came for. the show is on the road now, no thanks to Maricopa.
You’re losing the narrative here Sherlock. The reason those Trump loonies descended on Arizona was that they couldn’t just believe their big fat lying eyeballs that President Biden won the state.
And why Maricopa in particular? Well, it used to be a very Republican County where the infamous Sheriff Joe Arpaio used to fly his bigoted stick hounding Latino immigrants.
So they looked and looked but just couldn’t find the bamboo fibers.
In fact, their own tally showed President Biden gaining 98 more votes and former president Dickhead losing 200 or so votes.
If that’s not getting owned, I don’t know what is.
Elementary , my dear Watson!
Two questions which I’ll flip around,
1. Are they taking their show on the road?
2. Did Maricopa county own them?
Flip it,
2. Did Maricopa county really own them?
1. Then why are they able to take their show on the road?
>>> The point was to completely demolish them precisely so they couldn’t take their show on the road <<<
Ergo, Maricopa county failed.
I agree no bamboos no sharpies, but they've cause more doubts on the machines (which weirdly Maricopa county wasn't able to counter, thus the AG will chime in, if AG says nothing to see here folks! Ninjas still won because they are now in TX, then other states and counties).
You have to understand what the winning conditions are.
It's simply to spread said show.
Judge Hidalgo looks like some Gen Z appointee who'll not understand this. She'll instead appeal to reason and appeal to democracy and common decency. Good luck with that, when your machines are in question, and you have no answers! And there's all these t-shirts in primarily colors in your county.
I hope she at least demands lets' go with pastels this time around , guys, primary colors are too aggressive. soft colors work best, LOL!
“In short—as Bunch, Skelley, and others noted—the fraudit was a victory, not a defeat, for election deniers, who contrived an opportunity to baselessly sow doubt (and get the media to talk about it) and hammer home to their voters that Democratic victories are only legit when we, Republicans, say so.”
https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/arizona_fraudit_biden_trump.php
If you want to frame this in Orwellian doublespeak, it’s your constitutionally protected choice. But most people will have their critical thinking faculties and see it for what it is.
Sick of this spin-a-win shenanigan.
I don’t think LCX is advocating phoney audits, or defending them, but seeing them as a minor part in a long game, overthrow of constitutional norms. The flame-throwing press are loving it and beating on Biden for all that it’s worth. They are reporters who grew up as social media junkies and believe flame-throwing is civil discourse. Old social rules are gone. There is no fourth estate. There is mass trolling.
The Trump-led Republican Party has gone totally bonkers now. He doesn’t care if he raze the country to the ground as long as he gets his narcissistic high.
His stooges in the senate had just blocked the debt cap bill paving the way for a default on federal government obligations.
I would have them all lined up against that beautiful Mexican border wall.
Yes. Incredible negligence, as a power play. The press will make it a Biden crisis, as if he caused it.